33 comments:

What makes "blackness" especially stupid is that the term is a misnomer. What it really means is "American" Blackness, and American Blackness is primarily American Southern culture (it's urban outposts are just that - outposts and enclaves). It's about as provincial of an outlook as one finds in 21st century America.

Ask a Kenyan or Nigerian or South African Zulu what they think about "black identity". They'll just laugh and say "How can millions and millions of people make an identity out of skin color?"

Unfortunately, Chappelle is a poster child for being a victim of "blackness".

Part of his epiphany that led him to drop out of comedy involved watching the white stage hands bust a gut at his routines, and Chappelle thought they might be laughing at him, as a black man, rather than with him.

It seems to me that such things would be par for the course for any comic (i.e. are people laughing at my stuff for the wrong reasons? Are there any wrong reasons as long as I get paid?), but DC thought otherwise.

I think there's a greater fear of Jews. And, in a post nose-job world they're harder to find.

Meanwhile, does anyone remember PHIL GRAMM (of Texas) ?? His wife was Asian. And, while it was never a "discussed" reason ... It was the reason he couldn't mount up and run.

The other thing worth noting? Nobody's talking about the strange underwear Mormon women have to wear. (Which means they can never wear strapless gowns!) Their arms need to be covered ... because otherwise the sleeves on their underwear would hang out.

Through the local PTA, I met a mom whose son was a year or so ahead of my kid. And, her husband divorced her. Her happiest moment wasn't taking off her wedding band. It was when she collected all her old underwear ... and put it out into the garbage.

Here's Touré describing skydiving, which he was told black people don't do.

These stereotypes always amuse me. My son was a 4-year letterman in swimming, captained the swim team his senior year, and went skydiving just before leaving for Madison. But then he's spent most of his life in Wisconsin so perhaps he's not "authentically black."

“fluency undergirds complete ease in interethnic relations. Touré, himself married to a Lebanese-American, praises the effortless “mode-switching” of celebrities and leaders like Oprah Winfrey and President Obama: “Blackness is an important part of them but does not necessarily dominate their persona.” This allows them not only to trust and be trusted by European-Americans, but to seamlessly display the many forms of blackness when the occasion demands.” Toure.

Blackness is important? But does not dominate? Those celebrity blacks who seamlessly display the many forms of blackness when the occasion demands? Oh, those?

Not the 16.7% of blacks who are unemployed? Not those 16.7% of blacks who are unemployed because they’re too busy writing articles for Rolling Stone ? And skydiving? Those 16.7% of blacks who are at “complete ease” among the minorities hardest hit? Those 16.7% of blacks are really enjoying effortless mode-switching? Those 16.7% of blacks who are trusted by European-Americans?

Those 16.7% of unemployed blacks who seamlessly display the many forms of blackness when the occasion demands? Oh! Those 16.7% of black celebrities!

Ann's post about the Compton school problem is another example of post-blackness that nobody is really talking about. We had come to believe that electing black politicians in black precincts would change government in some beneficial way for constituents. This has not happened. Graft and corruption has continued there as in many other cities, and no one seems interested in the reasons why.

"...graft and corruption has continued....and no one seems interested in the reasons why."

Easy explanation#1 Blacks are human and exhibit same amount of greed, venality, etc., as any other race of people.

Easy explanation#2 Blacks, once ascended to grasping the reins of political power at municipal, state, levels, did so with the belief in the "spoils of war" standard in terms of graft and corruption,i.e., "it's our turn now."

Explanation for the disinterest in paying attentiion to reasons#1, and #2? Easy: "PC." One is racist and/or bigoted to bring either nos #1 or #2 up as a subj for discussion in polite company.

I did not read the headline as a comment on race but on trying to perform "blackness" (as in lack of color or light).

But I did not realize blacks (or African Americans) did not skydive. Really? I suppose they tended not play golf until relatively recently too (although they certainly worked as caddies and such). Do blacks scuba dive? They do not play a lot of hockey either, why is that?

Does Toure interview Clarence Thomas or Allen West? If not, I'd say Toure, despite his high-minded goal, is still subtly implying what he thinks it means to be black. Whatever it is doesn't include the likes of Thomas, West, or Condi Rice.

Carol Herman rants:Meanwhile, does anyone remember PHIL GRAMM (of Texas) ?? His wife was Asian. And, while it was never a "discussed" reason ... It was the reason he couldn't mount up and run.

No, that wasn't the reason he was unable to make a successful run for the Presidency. The race of his wife wasn't even a third order issue with his campaign. Though I'm sure you'll claim the fact it wasn't an issue people discussed is proof of its importance. Carol, you really are an imbecile.

I think the shame in the link to the conversation on blacks and skydiving, is the actual video of said commenter exiting the airplane and never getting stable in the air during his entire skydive. He's a danger to himself and everyone else in the air. I hope he never does it again. Arch on exit, people; it's not a recommendation, it's the law according to physics.

Funniest ficking video I've seen in years. Oddly, he posts it as if he's done something spectacular.

I've been trying to get someone on the left to define "person of color" for some time now. Is it the one drop rule? Is it your name? Is it what you perceive when you look at someone, or what you think most people would perceive? Is it a certain percentage of non-white ancestry? No one will tell me, and when I ask the only answer I get is to attack my motives for asking it.